


Visit To Higan

by Potentialplateau



Category: Touhou Project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 10:03:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potentialplateau/pseuds/Potentialplateau
Summary: I wrote another short story. This one’s about two very different Jizou statues who meet each other in Higan. Enjoy!





	Visit To Higan

“…Sent to the Netherworld. Next!”

Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu stifled a yawn as she looked at the row of souls that were still waiting to be judged. She allowed herself a few moments of respite from the constant rhythm of judging the dead. These fleeting moments she had to herself always did pass too quickly. Had she earned herself another vacation day? It had been a while since she’d last been to Gensokyo proper. There were probably quite a few new mortals in need of a good scolding. Like that strange Hermit with the purple hair. Still, a Yama ought lead by example. And Komachi clearly did need some more instruction in not being lazy. She decided to put a pin in it and looked back up at the row of the dead.

Komachi dragged another soul forward. Hmmm…This one seemed rather lively indeed. The way she was currently trying to bite Komachi’s hand was very unbecoming of a deceased soul. Why it was almost like she…like she…”

“…Komachi?”

“Yes lady Shiki?”

“Why is there a living Youkai in this courtroom where the dead are supposed to be judged?”

“Hey! Let me go you brute!” the struggling Youkai yelled.

“We caught her trying to smuggle herself across the river Sanzu, lady Shiki” Komachi said. “Said something about how she wanted to visit Higan or something?”

“Visit. Higan.”

“That’s right!” Komachi replied cheerily.

Eiki rubbed the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long day.

“*Sigh* I see. Thank you Komachi. You may go now.”

“So” Eiki said. “Miss ah…?”

“Yatadera. Yatadera Narumi” the Youkai replied.

“So just who are you and what do you want?”

“A-ah” Narumi said. “Well I’m a Youkai magician from the Forest of Magic. Aaaand I came here on a pilgrimage?”

Eiki raised an eyebrow. “A pilgrimage? To Higan?”

“Why, yes” Narumi replied. “I-I was once a Jizou statue you see, and-“

Eiki perked up at that. “Oh, so you’re a Jizou statue too? Of course! I thought there was something familiar about you. But don’t you think you’ll be getting any special treatment just because of it. I understand that this place has quite a bit of significance to our kind, but in future I still expect you to follow the Proper Procedures to reach this place, do you understand?”

“I…of course, lady Shiki” Narumi mumbled

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time” Eiki said. “But don’t you dare a stunt like this again! Now I’d love to stay and chat, but I have work to do and…Did your robe just…Wiggle?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” Narumi said

“Don’t lie to me, miss Yatadera your robe most certainly wiggled! And now it’s glowing, see?”

“Where? What’s glowing?” Narumi replied, patting looking at herself while studiously trying to ignore the wiggling thing darting about under her robes”

“Miss Yatadera” Eiki said. “I have here a mirror that shows me your every past sin, including the fact that you just lied to my face. Now I’ll ask again. What, exactly, is that thing under your robes?”

Narumi’s face dropped in defeat. She gingerly reached inside her robes, and pulled out a tiny spirit, shaking like a reed.

“I found it hiding behind a tree the Forest of Magic. I think the poor thing was once a human child, probably no more than one or two years old from the looks of it. Maybe it had wandered off in the Outside World and ended up in Gensoukyo somehow. You could imagine it…wouldn’t have had much of a chance.”

“I see” Eiki said. “And what did you want to do with it?”

“At first? Nothing really. I’m not a people-Youkai at the best of times so I thought I’d just wish it well and carry on. But, well you know what happened to kids who die before their parents in this world.”

Eiki’s face darkened. Things like these were always the hardest part of judging the Dead  
She hated sentencing children who died before their parents. Technically, they would gather bad Karma from bringing such hardship to their parents, and they would not yet be old enough to pay it off. So they had a tendency to end up in one of the worse afterlives. Often being forced to eternally pile up rocks on the shores of Higan as penance.”  
It wasn’t exactly fair, but it was still the law. And the law had to be upheld.

“Miss Yatadera” Eiki said “Miss Yatadera. You try to sneak in here, damn near bite my subordinate’s hand off, make me waste valuable court time when I already have a backlog and try to assist this spirit in evasion of the court’s justice ? I could have you sent straight to Hell for less!”

“But I…” Narumi sputtered.

“No buts, lady!” Eiki said. “The only reason why I don’t send you straight to Avici right now is because you can’t help it on some level. Yes. Jizou statues are supposed to help those who died before their parents, I understand. But you will not pull any more such stunts again, do I make myself clear?”

“I…But I…*sigh*Yes ma’am” Narumi mumbled, dejected.

“Good.”

Narumi bowed her head and started to head for the exit.

“Furthermore” Eiki continued.

“Narumi turned around again.

“Furthermore, I must stress that I strongly forbid you from mucking about in this courtroom any longer. You will not steal this letter off my desk and you will under no circumstances stamp it with that stamp over there! Why, if some ne-er-do-well were to do that, they’d suddenly have leave pretty much send a single spirit to any afterlife they desired! Imagine the chaos! So don’t you even think about doing that or showing the letter to Komachi, who’d have to help you do it, afterwards! Now if you will excuse me, I have to step out for a minute to wash my hands and see about booking a day off. I’m sure you’ll find your own way out.”

And as Eiki turned around to leave, Narumi could swear she saw her wink.


End file.
